Taking steps to gain access to Jadhav: VK Singh

Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh today said the government was taking all measures to gain consular access to former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav despite Pakistan denying it "13 times".

"Pakistan government has denied consular access to Jadhav despite India trying for 13 times. We are trying everything to to get access to Jadhav," he said talking to reporters.

Singh maintained that Jadhav was abducted from Iran.

A Pakistan military court had on April 10 sentenced Jadhav to death in a secret trial for alleged involvement in "espionage and sabotage activities" in restive Balochistan and Karachi.

According to the Vienna Convention, the State which detains a national of another country must allow consular officers of the other country to access the detainee.

India had yesterday said it would appeal against the death sentence and demanded from Pakistan a certified copy of the charge-sheet as well as the army court order in the case, besides seeking consular access to the retired Indian navy officer.

Asked about a video of CRPF jawans being heckled by youths going viral on social media, the minister, who addressed a gathering of ex-servicemen on the second day of a convention on "Nationalism and Patriotism", said: "Neither I watch such videos nor I comment on them without knowing the ground realities."

"We all veterans will join hands and contribute to the development of the nation and teach people what we were taught our whole lives," Singh said at the convention organised by Veterans India, a group comprising all-India ex-servicemen.